Arthur the Sequel
by Owennumber1fan
Summary: A sequel of sorts to Arthur Makes a Movie. Arthur and crew attempt to film another James Hound movie, and it goes how you'd expect.
1. Let's film a sequel

Surely it will not be a huge flop that will ruin my career. Surely - Ang Lee, talking about the Hulk movie on _Robot Chicken_.

"Next to Bionic Bunny, James Hound is my favorite hero" Arthur Read said, again addressing no one in particular, "he's so cool. Sometimes, I wish I was James Hound. Imagine how easy it would be to deal with bullies."

Arthur imagined himself at school, with Binky grabbing him by his shirt collar.

"Give me your lunch money dweeb, or I'll pound you!" he threatened.

"Sure thing Binky" Arthur replied, "let me just reach into my pocket." He did so and produced a yo-yo.

"A yo-yo? I wanted lunch money!" Binky said, "what are you trying to pull?"

"The string, actually" Arthur replied. He yanked the string and the yo-yo acted like a bola, wrapping itself around the bully.

"Hey, what the?" a surprised Binky shouted.

"Gotta run Binky" Arthur said, Suddenly his backpack converted into a jetpack and he zoomed down the halls.

"And hiding from D.W. would be a snap"

"Arthur!" "mom says you have to play Rocks in a Box with me!"

D.W. wandered into her brother's room, but found hide nor hair of him.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed again "I know you're in here somewhere!"

She checked under his bed and in the closet, but couldn't find him.

"Mom, Arthur's disappeared!" she said as left his room. The instant she did, Arthur lowered himself down from the ceiling, compliments of a grappling hook on his belt.

"Unfortunately, when I tried to play James Hound, things didn't work out quite as well" Arthur explained.

Arthur the Sequel.

Class had just ended at Lakewood Elementary and Arthur & Buster were on their way home.

"Did you hear about the new James Hound movie, _Cabaret Regal_?" Buster asked.

"Yeah, I heard it's supposed to be the best one yet" Arthur added.

"I don't know about this new guy though" Buster said "I really liked Reese Brasfan."

"They say David Greg is pretty good" Arthur replied, "we'll just have to give him a chance."

"Not that it matters anyway, since we can't see the movie" Buster whined "lousy PG-13 rating. What do they think is so bad about the movie that we can't see it?"

"Lots of stuff" Arthur replied "violence, bad words, kissing…"

"But they show all that stuff on TV!" Buster exclaimed "and there are no ratings on it!"

"Um, actually, there are."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they've had them for a long time. You've never noticed?"

"Nope" Buster replied "besides, my mom doesn't let me watch any of that stuff."

"Well we've got to see that movie" Arthur said, "and I think I know just how to do it."

"Sorry guys, but I already asked her" Francine said. Arthur & Buster had gone to the Westbro apartments to talk to her older sister.

"She said she's busy and besides she doesn't want to be caught with, how did she put it, 'little third grade babies'" Francine added, a twinge of disgust in her voice.

"Aww man, now we'll have to wait until it's out on DVD" Buster whined "and that could take a long time."

Cue Buster fantasy

It was several years later and an older looking Buster entered the video store.

"Finally, a copy of _Cabaret Regal_" he said "I've been wanting to see this for 5 years. But now I can't remember why"

End Buster fantasy.

"You know, I recall when this happened before" Francine said, "remember what we did then?"

"Yeah, we tried to film our own movie. That was pretty crazy" Arthur added.

"I remember I was the bad guy" Buster chimed in "I should've had a claw, but Brain wouldn't make me one."

"You're not suggesting…" Arthur said.

"We film another movie? Yes I am" Francine said, "why not? We said we were going to eventually. And this time, we'll make sure we do it right."

"Let's do it" Arthur said, "I just hope Muffy still has her camera."

"That old thing?" Muffy asked, "oh no, I got rid of that a long time ago."

Muffy's friends had biked to the Crosswire mansion in hopes of borrowing their friends video camera. But the news that she didn't have it ruined their day.

"Daddy bought me a much better one" Muffy continued "it's much smaller and easier to carry. And I know how to use this one. Why do you need it?"

"See…the thing is…" Arthur began.

"We're making another James Hound movie in honor of the release of the new one we can't see because we're only kids" Buster said quickly.

"We figure we should be able to make a really good one this time" Francine added.

"How delightful!" Muffy exclaimed happily "and you want me to return as director? Well, I accept!"

"Actually…" Arthur began.

"And this time, I'll donate some of my money to making the movie better. For special effects and things" she added.

"Welcome back, Miss director" Francine replied quickly.

Next time, Arthur and friends start work on their new movie. Will it be a success or a failure? What do you think?


	2. Actors are so tempermental

"I think it might be best if we recruit some of our friends to be in the movie to" Arthur said "that way, we can have a better plot."

"Better plot" Francine wrote down.

"And we need lots and lots of special effects" Buster added.

"How are we going to make those? We're just kids" Arthur asked.

"Special effects," Francine wrote.

"I want to be in the movie this time" Muffy said "it will give me a chance to display my natural acting talents. And if this movie goes big, it could be my big break."

Cue Muffy fantasy.

A much older Muffy, wearing a fancy dress, exited a limo in front of a red carpet. There, several paparazzi were snapping away.

"We're here at the debut of _Princess Peach; the movie_" said a reporter "the debut film of Hollywood's new sensation, Muffy Crosswire." As Muffy approached her, she held out her microphone.

"Miss Crosswire, how does it feel to be such a big star?" she asked.

"It feels great" Muffy replied.

"And I heard it all started with a film you and your friends made in third grade?" the reporter continued.

"That's right" Muffy said "it was the first time I got to display my wonderful acting talent. And I'd like to thank my friends, wherever they are."

Unknown to her, said friends were watching her on a TV from the grown up Arthur's house.

"No fair, how come Muffy becomes a big star and we all have boring jobs?" Francine asked, "we helped make that movie too!"

"Yeah, but we're not as glamorous or talented as Muffy" Arthur said.

"We should consider ourselves lucky to even be her friends" Buster added.

"Good point" Francine replied.

End Muffy fantasy.

Muffy sighed with contentment thinking about the idea of being a star. Her friends, having no clue what she was sighing about, decided to not ask.

Later that day, the kids met with the Brain and asked him if he would be willing to work on their new film.

"Of course" Brain said, "but I think that if we wish for our film to be successful, we should construct a planned narrative of events." His friends gave him blank stares, the ones they often gave when he said something they didn't get.

"We should write a script" he explained.

"That's a great idea!" Francine said happily "each of us can write a few pages, then we'll just put our ideas together."

"Now we just need some more cast members" Arthur said, "I hope our friends will go along with this."

At the Sugar Bowl, Arthur & Buster approached Binky about the idea.

"We think you'd play a great bad guy" Arthur said, "so will you do it?"

"Okay" Binky said "I've always wanted to be in a movie, and Prunella said some really nice things about your first one. So, what's my motivation?"

"You're mean and nasty" Buster replied.

"I can play that."

A half hour later, everyone was assembled at the park. Besides Buster, Brain, Francine, & Muffy, the cast now included Binky, Sue Ellen, Fern & George, who had been cast as Binky's henchman.

"I made copies of the script for everyone" Brain said, "look over your parts and study them for when your time comes."

"Brain, I'm having a problem with the script" Arthur said.

"What part?"

"The part were I rescue Francine and then I have to gaze in her eyes again. I thought we agreed there wouldn't be any of that in this movie."

"I put that part in" Francine replied, walking into the conversation "they always have stuff like that in the James Hound movies. Don't you want to make it as authentic as possible?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Then I suggest you do it like it says in the script" Francine said, "or else." And to show she meant business, she shook her fist at him menacingly.

"This is going to be a long movie" Arthur said after she left.

"James Hound sequel, take one!" Muffy said.

As the camera rolled, Arthur strode into what looked like a telescope lens. Actually it was a paper towel tube being held over the camera lens. Turning to the lens, Arthur fired a shot from his squirt gun. The lens shook and a red substance oozed down it.

"Buster, you're overdoing it with the ketchup" Muffy said under her breath.

"Oops, sorry" Buster replied sheepishly.

The next part of the movie was filmed in the Read house, where James received his orders from his boss "N."

"We have reason to believe that an evil genius is planning to steal the world's supply of chocolate and replace it with Brussels sprouts" said N, played by Buster. He was sitting at the Read's kitchen table.

"That fiend!" Arthur exclaimed "I must save the world's chocolate!"

"Yes, it's up to you 006, or 8, or whatever number you are" Buster replied "now go report to IQ and get your cool spy gadgets."

Arthur left the kitchen and made his way into the living room. Fern was sitting at the computer desk.

"Well Hennypenny, I'm off on another dangerous mission" he said.

"James, why don't you stay here, where it's safe?" Fern asked, "we could read poetry together and work on our couplets."

"Sorry, but I don't mix business and pleasure" Arthur replied "even though I like the idea of coupling." Arthur paused for a few minutes, took out his copy of the script, scanned the line again and then turned to the camera.

"What in the heck does that mean?"

"It's one of those clever phrases James Hound is known for" Brain said.

"Well it sounds doofy to me" Arthur replied.

"I don't mean to complain, but could my role be expanded?" Fern asked, "I only have that one line and I only appear in this scene."

"Hey, your character is a secretary, that's what she does" Francine replied.

"But couldn't she be more than a secretary?" Fern asked, "what if she was also a secret agent, who uses the secretary thing as a cover? And then she gets sent to help James in the missing chocolate caper."

"The part is what it is, I can't go changing the script cause everyone has a problem with their part" Brain replied.

Before anyone else could argue, D.W wandered into the room.

"What are you guys doing in here?" she asked.

"Go away D.W., we're trying to film a movie" Arthur replied.

"Ooh, can I be in it?" D.W. asked excitedly.

"No, it's a James Hound movie" Arthur said "and there's no part for a little kid."

"Maybe I could be the princess that James has to save" D.W. suggested "a pretty princess with a unicorn named Betty. Those James Hound movies could really use unicorns in them. Unicorns make everything better."

"Please tell me we're done with this part" Arthur pleaded.

"Okay, let's go to my house to shoot my favorite scene, the one with IQ" Brain said.

"Lemme just get my unicorn doll and I'll be right with you" D.W. replied, rushing off to her room.

"Quick, before she comes back!" Arthur shouted, and he and his friends dashed out of the house.

Next time, IQ gives James some 'unique' gadgets and Sue Ellen makes her film debut.


	3. More Movie Mayhem

Later, the gang gathered at Brain's house, where he allowed them to film in his basement lab. They were doing the scene where James gets his weaponry from IQ.

"What do you have for me today IQ?" Arthur asked, trying to sound as mature as possible.

"Here's a pen that's actually a laser" Brain said, handing him a regular pen, "just rotate the cap in order for it to work."

Next he produced a small hand-held camera "and this may seem like an ordinary camera, but when you push the button, it emits a smokescreen to confuse your enemies."

He then started looking around for another prop to use. Spying an old backpack, he handed it to him. "And though this may seem like an ordinary backpack, it is in fact a highly sophisticated jetpack, capable of attaining speeds of up to 120 miles per hour."

"Thanks for the gear IQ" Arthur said, putting on the backpack as he spoke "now I'm off to save the world's chocolate."

While the others made "whoosh" noises, Arthur ran around, pretending as though he had a jetpack on.

"Hey this is kind of fun" he said, breaking character for a moment. Then he noticed the big pile of clutter. "Uh-oh."

CRASH!

"You okay Arthur?" Buster asked, as he helped his friend from the clutter.

"Don't worry, we can edit that out, I think" Muffy replied.

"You think?" Arthur asked, "oh, I hope nothing else goes wrong today."

Later, the cast broke for lunch. Arthur wasn't too worried about the few little problems they'd had so far. But he might have been if he knew what was in store for later…

After lunch, the gang reassembled at the Powers' ice cream shop to film James' encounter with a sultry female.

"And, action" Muffy commanded.

Arthur walked over a table and sat down. A few minutes later, Sue Ellen approached him. She was wearing a very elegant outfit (the one she wore for painting in _Sue Ellen's Little Sister_) down the front of which she had stuffed two oranges. Her hair was free and long, as opposed to tied up in little tufts, like usual. Arthur was nearly taken aback, having never seen her like this before.

"May I sit here?" she asked, a hint of an accent in her voice.

"Why are you talking funny?" Arthur asked.

"I decided to try a Russian accent for my character" she explained "I think it makes her seem more exotic. You are James Hound, da?" she asked, back in character

"And who might you be miss?" Arthur asked.

"I am Jen Natalia" she said, not quite getting the joke of her name, "may I buy you a milkshake?"

"Of course, but make sure it's mixed, not blended."

Sue Ellen went over to the counter and purchased two milkshakes. Then she sat down across from him.

"So what brings a girl like you to a place like this?" Arthur asked.

"Well the Sugar Bowl was too crowded" Sue Ellen replied in her normal voice, "I mean, I was looking for you Mr. Hound. My employer, Mr. Sweetooth, wishes to meet with you."

"Sweettooh eh? Well I can see why he likes sweet things" Arthur replied, barely suppressing a groan. Sue Ellen simply rolled her eyes.

"I believe I'd like to meet this employer of yours" Arthur said, "and then maybe he can answer a few questions about some missing chocolate."

Sue Ellen got up from her chair and bowed, gesturing for Arthur to leave, "your first" she said.

However, when she bowed, one of her strategically placed oranges fell to the ground.

"Time out, I lost my 'thing'" she said, bending down to retrieve it.

"Here Sue Ellen, let me help" Arthur offered.

Unfortunately, both kids bent down at exactly the same minute and bumped heads.

"Ow!"

Arthur rubbed his sore head, only to come up too fast and slam into the table.

"Double ow!"

"This is turning into a disaster!" Muffy exclaimed "my actors are hurting themselves, the acting is atrocious, and we can't even get good location shoots. I just hope Brain's special effects can save us."

"About that" Brain began "though I may be quite intelligent, the types of effects you asked for are far beyond my capabilities. They're created by highly skilled technicians using sophisticated computer equipment. My parents won't allow me to have anything more advanced then a normal computer."

"At least things can't get any worse" Francine added. Then they heard this exchange coming from the actors.

"Hold still and let me look at your head"

"You're not going to kiss it, are you?"

"Ew, no way! Now hold still."

Muffy slapped her palm into her face. It was then she noticed that Buster still had the camera trained on them.

"You're not still filming this, are you?" she asked.

"Yup" the rabbit boy replied "this is pretty funny. We should send it to one of those funniest video shows, I bet we could win a lot of money."

"You're fired" Muffy replied.

In the next chapter, Arthur and his friends begin filming the final scenes, but things just keep going wrong. From Francine's overacting to Sue Ellen's all too real karate performance, to Fern's special appearance as "Essie Beauchamp" it's one disaster after another. How will their film turn out, and what will their friends think? Also, Muffy makes Buster her assistant, and finds out what a mistake that can be.


	4. That's a wrap

After Arthur received first aid, the gang gathered together to film the next scene. Muffy reinstated Buster, but assigned him the job of being her personal assistant (so as to keep him from causing more mayhem). Meanwhile, Francine was getting ready for her big scene.

"This is it" she told herself, "the scene that's going to put Francine Frensky in the big time. I can already see it."

Cue Francine fantasy

Just like in Muffy's fantasy, she was pulling up to a movie premiere in a limo. She emerged wearing her "movie star glasses", a feather boa, and a long red dress (with jeans on underneath, naturally).

"Miss Frensky, how does it feel to be here at the premiere of your new movie _Kickball Kids 8: The Final Kick?_ The bear newsperson asked.

"Really great" Francine replied "and to think that it all started with a little movie I filmed with my friends back in 3rd grade. I'd like to thank them, wherever they might be."

Inside the theater, one of those friends was working as a custodian.

"I can't believe Francine is the star and not me" Muffy whined, "even though she is better than me at everything, including sports."

End Francine fantasy.

Francine grinned to herself before coming out to do her scene.

"Your plan to steal the world's chocolate will never succeed, Sweetooth!" Arthur said. He and Francine (as Miss Lotta Goodstuff, chocolate maker) were tied to a tetherball pole in the middle of the park.

"On the contrary, Mr. Hound, it already has" Binky said, "soon, I will have all the chocolate in the world, while everyone else will have to eat Brussels sprouts! And you and Miss Goodstuff will be unable to stop me, since you won't escape my popcorn ball of doom."

He gestured to a normal-sized popcorn ball "um, I know it doesn't look very big, but it is!" he added, "so, off I go to do evil, or whatever, wha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Farewell Mr. Hound" Sue Ellen said, "it is too bad you refused to join us, we could have made a good team."

"How could someone who seems so sweet, be so sour?" Arthur asked.

"Tell me James, did you love her?' Francine asked.

"Francine…I mean, Miss Goodstuff, this is hardly the time or place" Arthur replied, struggling against the jump rope.

"Just tell me that you love me" Francine said "that I'm the girl who sets your heart afire, and there is no one else for you."

"What is Francine doing?" Muffy asked Brain, "none of those lines are in the script."

"Francine may be Jewish, but she's acting like a big ham" Buster added, "see, cause Jews can't eat pork."

"Very funny" Muffy replied, obviously not amused "now go get me a soda, and make it diet. I'm trying to watch my weight"

"Oh James, this is the end for us!" Francine continued "but at least we'll die together!"

"Not quite, luckily I still have my laser pen" Arthur said, grabbing it with his hands. As the camera cut away to the rolling popcorn ball, Brain ran out to untie Francine & Arthur. Or at least, he tried to.

"Hurry up, I can't keep filming this popcorn ball all day" Muffy ordered.

"Whoever tied this knot was exceptionally good" Brain said "it's a square I believe."

"Just get us out of here!" Arthur shouted "Francine is starting to make me nervous."

"I'm just keeping true to my character" Francine explained "it's called acting, you should try it sometime."

"Then why were you deviating from the established narrative?" Brain asked.

"All the great actors do it" Francine explained "I thought everyone knew that."

Soon the two were untied and rolled out of the way as the popcorn ball struck the tetherball pole.

"That was quite a 'corny' trap, wouldn't you say?" Arthur asked.

"Oh James, you were so magnificent!" Francine said, in a tone that made Arthur uneasy "let me give you a reward for your bravery."

"A check will do nicely" Arthur replied.

"Okay people, this is the big battle scene" Muffy instructed the others. They were gathered on the jungle gym at Lakewood. "So I want to see real action and drama, got it?"

"Couldn't we just fake it?" Arthur asked.

"If you want to do things the easy way, I suppose" Muffy added. Just then, Buster arrived with her soda.

"Here you go Muffy" he said, holding out the can. But before she could take it from him, he tripped on a nearby rock, sending soda all over her.

"Ah! My beautiful dress!" Muffy exclaimed "Buster, you clumsy oaf!"

"It wasn't my fault" Buster replied "it was the rock."

"I can't work like this" Muffy said "I need to go and change. Brain, take over filming for me."

"Not to worry, with me on the job, everything will go like clockwork" Brain replied.

"Let's hope so" Muffy said "ew, the sun is making it all sticky!"

After Muffy left, everybody prepared to shoot the scene. On the jungle gym, Arthur found himself surrounded by Sue Ellen & George.

"This is where you die, Mr. Hound" Sue Ellen said. "Hi-ya!" she shot out with a karate chop.

Arthur avoided it and launched one of his own, which Sue Ellen swiftly avoided.

The two continued to fake grapple with each other, until one of Arthur's blows dislodged one of the oranges.

"Whoops."

"I don't know why I even put in these stupid things" Sue Ellen grumbled "it was all Muffy's idea. Just ignore it."

Arthur did so and continued to fake fight her. But he slipped on said orange and crashed into Sue Ellen.

"Hold on guys, I'll help you up" George said. He pulled Arthur to his feet, but slipped on the orange, sending him and Arthur falling on Sue Ellen again.

"I knew this was a bad idea" Arthur groaned from under the pile of his friends.

"Muffy's not going to be happy about this" Brain mused.

"Can't you just fix it in editing?" Buster asked.

"Quite impossible" Brain said "for that, we'd have to do several retakes until each scene is acted out perfectly. I doubt our cast is willing to commit for that lengthy a period of time."

"So…what do we do?" Buster asked.

"We could reshoot it, but given the condition of our cast, that might be out of the question" Brain replied "I suppose I could splice together the best parts of the fight. I just certainly hope nothing else goes wrong."

"Worry not James Hound, help is on the way in the form of…Essie Beauchamp, junior spy."

"Hey, I didn't know Fern was in this part" Buster said.

"She's not" Brain groaned.

"Fern, what are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"Who is this Fern you speak of? I am Essie Beauchamp, and I was sent by the agency to help you save the world's chocolate."

"O-kay" Arthur said disbelievingly "then let's go save Miss Goodstuff from Sweettooth."

On the other side of the jungle gym, Binky & Francine were "fighting" each other.

"Give back the chocolate!"

"Never!"

"Fear not Miss Goodstuff, James Hound, and, this female spy I guess, are here to help you."

"Hey, I didn't know Fern was in this part" Binky said, "you guys really need to start to telling me these things."

"Go away Fern, you're messing up my big fight scene" Francine said.

"I told you, I'm not Fern, I'm Essie Beauchamp."

"Well if 'Essie Beauchamp' doesn't beat it, I'm going to give her a bigger nose than she already has" Francine threatened.

"You don't scare me" Fern replied, "in fact, I have evidence that you're actually working with Sweetooth. He hired you to distract James so he could carry out his plan."

"You're crazy!" Francine replied "and if you don't knock it off, I'll…"

"What is going on here!" Muffy shouted, having just returned from changing her dress.

Everyone began to talk at once.

"Fern is ruining my big scene…"

"I just wanted to have a larger part in the movie…"

"Nobody told me what was going on" Binky added.

"I want a stunt double" Arthur whined.

"Are you sure there's no way I can use Wally in this movie?" George asked.

"Can we break for lunch?" Buster wondered.

"Quiet!" Muffy shouted, "when I took this job as director, I was expecting it would lead to a big time Hollywood career. But after this fiasco, I'll be lucky if I get a job in Hollywood. You've all ruined me, and I hope you're happy."

"Hold on Muffy" Arthur said, "we never asked you to be director in the first place, you just assumed we wanted you and took the job. And besides, you're forgetting the real reason we did this; to make a James Hound movie we could all see. So it's a little crude, and there's a whole bunch of mistakes, but so what? Isn't it important that we made it together?"

"Arthur's right" Francine replied "making the movie is more important than which of us is the star. And by the way, it's me."

"And there are no small parts, only small actors" Fern replied, "I guess I got a little carried away."

"I'm sorry too" Muffy said "I didn't mean what I said about you guys. And anyway, someone as rich as me should easily be able to get a job in Hollywood if I want one."

"Then what do you say we finish this thing?" Arthur asked.

Everyone agreed and they went back to work.

Later that evening, everyone gathered at the Read house to watch the new James Hound movie, _Confectionary Yours. _

"At least the opening came out OK" Arthur said, as he watched the ketchup drain down the screen.

The rest of the film was a mismash of all the scenes they had filmed, complete with mistakes. They all laughed as Arthur crashed into the junk in Brain's lab, or when he and Sue Ellen bumped each other's heads.

"Is that a popcorn ball?" D.W. asked.

"Hush" Arthur said.

Later the movie was finished and the kids applauded happily.

"I liked it" Francine said, "and it was cooler than a James Hound movie because it was funnier."

"And it sure was fun to make" Muffy added, "we should do another one."

"Okay, but this time, I want to be the romantic interest" Sue Ellen said, "let Francine play a villain for once. Oh, and we should set it in an exotic locale, like Paris or Cairo"

"Actually, the movie probably won't have any romance in it…" Arthur began.

"Ooh, can I be in it, I have some great ideas!" D.W. said happily. "How about, James Hound has to protect a pretty princess and save her unicorns from a grumpy ogre? It's a well known fact that people love princesses and unicorns."

"I think we should do a mystery this time around" Fern suggested, "perhaps Hound teams up with a brilliant detective, played by yours truly."

"Aliens are definitely the way to go" Buster added.

"Naturally, I'll return as director" Muffy chimed in.

"Oh boy, here we go again" Arthur said to Pal, as his friends continued to interject their "ideas."

The End.


End file.
